Cora and her daughter Maia go to register the birth of Cora’s new son, which will also give him his official name. Her controlling and abusive husband insists that he be given his own name, Gordon. Maia wants to call him Bear and Cora prefers Julian. In this beautifully written sliding doors concept the novel tells the story of all three boys - Bear, Julian and Gordon and how the decision as to what his name would be led to three very different personalities based on the ramifications of the choice. As Bear, Cora has completely gone against her husband’s wishes, with Julian she tried to explain that he was still named after him but in a different way, hoping to mollify his anger. As Gordon, Cora obediently followed her husband’s orders. The personalities reflect the decision Cora makes for how she chooses to live her life within her marriage.

I loved this novel so much, I had such high expectations and it met them. While the abuse is very hard to read, the stories have such a beautiful interweaving of the different realities for the characters. No one story has just a happy ending, each has its own set of tragedies and victories for the characters. I do love alternate story concepts so I was in this from page 1, but the stories themselves are what really made me fall in love with this book. Each story starts with the name but is also based on Gordon’s reactions and how that changes the lives of the nuclear family and those around them. I can’t believe this is a debut and I will wait anxiously for Knapp’s next book. The audio was wonderful and I listened to much of this, I have been recommending this one to everyone as it’s a rare 5 star for me.

Thank you to Pamela Dorman Books and NetGalley for the ARC to review

Well written, thought provoking but so difficult for me to read due to the graphic scenes of domestic abuse. Can a name determine your fate? I personally believe there is some truth to this notion. But the story was ultra depressing for me and in the end, it was not my cup of tea. I am always happy when a debut author finds success and I realize I am the outlier here. Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking Penguin/Pamela Dorman Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Names asks the question "What's in a name?" Does your name impact who you are and who you can become?

Cora's husband is an abuser. Upon the birth of a son, Cora goes to fill out the birth certificate, expected to name the boy after her husband. From here, the book tells three different stories - one where the boy is named after his father and the other two where the boy is named something different. Each of the stories demonstrate how one decision can change the course of a life, for better and for worse.

This was a very unique book, not a format that I had read before. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Each of the stories was beautifully written and kept me engrossed in the storylines. I loved that many of the characters were present throughout the different stories, but each one introduced new characters too. Spanning 35 years, the book shows how physical and psychological abuse causes lifelong effects.

The passages about domestic violence are VERY intense and difficult to read. Some reviewers have commented that the scenes were too graphic, but while horrific, I do think they added to the intensity of the novel. There is a trigger warning at the beginning of the novel.

My one complaint about the book is that there were times when it was difficult to keep all three stories straight. In each of the stories, the characters meet different fates. Trying to keep it all straight was sometimes a bit confusing.

This would be a great book club selection. There is so much to discuss and consider.

4.5 ⭐s from me!

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking Penguin/Pamela Dorman Books for an advanced copy.

A stunning debut. A look at three parallel lives. Each heartbreaking and beautiful in their own ways. I devoured this book and hung onto every word. It’s emotional, heavy and deals with some extremely tough situations. But it’s also a deep look into what makes us who we are. Is it our names, our circumstances or the way we are raised? I absolutely loved this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.

Imagine living your life with a different name. Would it change you? Would your life path be different or the same?
This debut novel by Florence Knapp has such an interesting premise. I loved the format, depicting the main male character with three different names and the follow-through on his life every 7 years. This is definitely a page turner, curious about the differences as well as the commonality of the life of this boy.
Florence Knapp has written a novel whereas the mother of the newborn baby boy must register the name of her infant with the authorities’. Should she go with tradition- the husbands first name? Should she go with her choice? Should she go with the nine-year-old daughters’ choice? The events in this novel will lead you down all three paths.
This is a thought proving novel that will make you smile and make you mad. Cora is struggling with postpartum depression after the birth of her son. Her husband is a well-known, well-loved doctor. But what goes on behind the doors of their house is unknown to outsiders.
Each character’s name has a special meaning- Bear (her daughter’s pick) is strong, warm and brave, Julian (Cora’s pick)- his name means father, he is inspired by the sky, and Gordon (the husband’s pick) is traditional and takes after the father. Naming your child can have a big influence on them and their life.
There is a trigger warning for domestic abuse, but it is only in the initial parts of the book. While horrifying, you can see how it affects each of the characters and the lives they lead.
I can’t wait to see what Florence Knapp writes next. What an exceptional debut novel! I would love to read it again, but this time character by character from beginning to end.
Many thanks to NetGalley for bringing this book to my attention and for allowing me to read the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Published on May 6, 2025.

How can our name change the course of our lives? In The Names debut author Florence Knapp writes of a family whose young son has 3 potential names. The reader follows the family as each of the names is picked over their lives. A wonderful and emotional novel!

4 stars
Thank you to Penguin Group and to NetGalley for this ARC

I picked up The Names because I was looking for a read that was a bit heavier and a bit different than what I usually read, and it met that criteria in the best way. I tend to avoid the triggers that this book touched on, but I'm glad I picked this up even if it was a tough read at times. I think the author did an amazing job and showing the darker sides of relationships in each timeline while also expertly adding in hope and light to balance. My heart was pulled in all different directions for these characters, but again, in the best way. I loved watching them grow through all of the hard things and find happiness each in their own ways. I also loved sitting and considering the difference that a name can bring, and I really enjoyed how this was written to consider all members of the family. I think that Florence Knapp is sort of a genius to be able to present these different characters and different timelines, and not have it be confusing or hard to follow. I'm really excited to see what she writes next as this was completely unique to anything I've read before.

I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys stories about families. As I mentioned above, Florence Knapp does such a good job balancing dark and light, but I would encourage readers with sensitivities to review the trigger warnings first.

4.5 stars. I had no idea what this was about, something about a wife going to register her baby's name and maybe the husband isn't a great guy?

So when I started in it threw me off that the second chapter was almost a retelling of the first chapter. That's when I read the summary and realized that this book is about a decision and that decision could have multiple endings depending on that choice. And in this case, if the baby is named after the father the lives of this family might go in one direction. But if the mother goes with the idea of what her daughter suggests, then something entirely different could happen. And if the mother chooses a name she would like then again, another life altogether.

I found this to be so well done. Cora has a 9 year old named Maia and a newborn who is supposed to be named Gordon after his father, as per tradition. And she is stressed about this because her husband Gordon is very abusive and would lash out on her if she doesn't do precisely what he says at all times and she can't imagine her son being anything like his father. But something comes over her and she makes a decision to go with Maia's suggestion which is to name her son, Bear. Bear means cute and cuddly and soft and when Cora agrees she sees Maia's face light up like she's never seen; and that sparkle is something missing from both their lives since they live under the thumb of a very awful man.

When she brings the kids home and reports what she chose to do things happen and they will have repercussions affecting their lives forever.

Then we see what happens when she chooses the name Julian. And then what happens when she did actually name her son Gordon.

You will see how three variations of lives unfold all depending on a single choice. This might make you think of your own life, your past decisions that impacted where and who you are today and it might make you second guess your present and future choices. So well done.

What is in a name? This wonderful story looks at a woman who has to register her new born son’s name at the registers and has three possibilities. Each possibility leads Cora, the mother, on a different life path. Cora is an abused woman and each life leads to a different path for her two children as they try to deal with the aftermath of their father’s abuse. The story was very interesting read and the characters were all very well written.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publishers for allowing me to read this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Synopsis:
The extraordinary novel that asks: Can a name change the course of a life?
In the wake of a catastrophic storm, Cora sets off with her nine-year-old daughter, Maia, to register her son's birth. Her husband, Gordon, a local doctor, respected in the community but a terrifying and controlling presence at home, intends for her to name the infant after him. But when the registrar asks what she'd like to call the child, Cora hesitates...

Spanning thirty-five years, what follows are three alternate and alternating versions of Cora's and her young son's lives, shaped by her choice of name. In richly layered prose, The Names explores the painful ripple effects of domestic abuse, the messy ties of family, and the possibilities of autonomy and healing.

With exceptional sensitivity and depth, Knapp draws us into the story of one family, told through a prism of what-ifs, causing us to consider the "one . . . precious life" we are given. The book’s brilliantly imaginative structure, propulsive storytelling, and emotional, gut-wrenching power are certain to make The Names a modern classic.

The premise of The Names is interesting, but I had a hard time keeping the details of each storyline separated. This took some of the pleasure out of the book for me. I feel like it would have been easier for me to read each story-Bear, Julian, Gordon all the way through.

Thanks to NetGalley and Pamela Dorman Books for the advanced digital copy of the book.

Solid sliding doors type of family drama that follows the same family throughout 3 different scenarios which have different consequences depending on what they name their son. The concept was great, well written, and doesn’t overstay its welcome - however i did find 1 of the timelines less engaging than the others.

4.5 stars.

✨I’m honestly not sure I’ve ever read a book quite like this. It was beautifully written and left me both heartbroken and full of hope.

✨The narrative is told in three parallel realities – each chapter titled by either the name Bear, Julian or Gordon. These are the names that Cora, a young mother, chooses to give her son in the three different threads. The story unfolds in seven year increments as we follow Cora, her children and various additional characters throughout thirty-five years of the three alternate realities. A sliding door trope, if you will.

✨The book explores the old adage “what’s in a name?” But beyond that, it causes the reader to consider the consequences of the decisions we make, both big and small.

✨This is a heartfelt and very emotional story that contains tragedy and anguish - but also moments of light and hopefulness as well.

✨In the end, I was deeply impacted and know I will not soon forget these characters and the way their lives unfolded.

✨I will say that anyone who has ever experienced domestic abuse should strongly consider whether they would be able to handle this book. It was brutal for me to read. But I’m also so very glad I did.

🌿Read if you like:
✨Alternate realities/parallel timelines
✨Literary fiction
✨Sliding door tropes
✨Debut authors
✨Tearjerkers
✨Books that make you think
✨Celebrity book club selections (this one is an @readwithjenna pick)

This is definitely gut wrenching but the title and synopsis do not match novel in my opinion.
It is well written and parts of it are very interesting and even touching.
This could have been much better without the graphic, extreme domestic violence and focused more on the actual title of the book.
The children’s lives were predominantly altered by their father’s mental and physical abuse of their mother and the loss of a parent (or parents depending), not by a name. The only difference in changing the boy’s name was how his father reacted to it. Maia’s name was the same the entire time and the majority of the abuse was witnessed by her (not the boy) yet both were affected their father’s actions throughout their lives in all scenarios.
Thank you to the publisher/author for the opportunity to read this complimentary advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I devoured this book. Cora has to register her young son and his name at.the local registry office. From there, you see the disintegration of her marriage with her physician husband, Gordan and the rebuilding her own life and her children. I loved it

@pameladormanbooks @vikingbooks | #gifted 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗡𝗔𝗠𝗘𝗦 is the debut novel from Florence Knapp and it’s a book I’d been looking forward to for a very long time. Its premise had my expectations set very high and I’m thrilled to report that in every way those expectations were met, at times even exceeded.⁣
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𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘴 centers on a British family and opens on the day Cora is off to register her newly born son’s name. Her husband Gordon is insistent that the child carry his name, as has been the tradition in his family. Cora wants to name the child Julian, a name she loves and finds meaning in, and her 9-year old daughter Maia would like her brother to be called Bear. Cora knows that she will pay mightily for doing anything other than what Gordon demands, but the pull to go against his will is strong. She doesn’t want her child to grow up to be like his abusive father.⁣
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From there the story branches into three different versions, one centered on each of the name choices. Something so small impacts the lives of Cora, Maia, the boy, and even Gordon, in vastly different ways. The storylines were all beautiful, tragic, uplifting, and sad, each in its own very different way. I can’t say I liked one more than the others because all touched me. I loved how Knapp changed the circumstances for each character, but at their core kept their essences. I also liked how she structured the book, taking seven year jumps in their lives, each time with a Bear, Julian, and Gordon chapter. In some ways you were getting three different stories, but always with characters you recognized and felt deeply for. This was truly a stunning debut and I can’t wait to see what this author does next! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Cora is a mother to a nine year old daughter Maia, and a newly born son, she goes to register. Her abusive husband Gordon wants him named after him, but Cora and Maia both have a name in mind.

We follow the family over 35 years in 3 different iterations of how life played out depending on what Cora registered his name to be Gordon, her husband's choice, Julian her's, and Bear Maia's.

Honestly this book was truly an utter masterpiece. The authors gift of storytelling was stunning. They managed to fully flesh out 3 different stories, while it still feeling cohesive. We had plot, character growth, emotion, relationship development, and unique structure. This book does such a good job of balancing spousal abuse with lighter moments. I laughed, cried, felt hopeful, and hopeless. This is a book I will think about for a long time.

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Viking / Pamela Dorman Books and PRH Audio for the ARC and ALC.

This will be, already is, a great book club pick, it’s the kind of book you want to talk about with someone as soon as you finish. While it covers some very real and difficult territory (including spousal abuse, which I was aware of before starting), it never feels heavy in a way that weighs the story down. Somehow, the author creates space for light and possibility within even the hardest moments.

This is one of those books where I don’t want to say too much about the plot, because the journey is everything. The structure is so creative, and effective, via alternating perspectives across lifetimes — it all comes together. Each character’s voice adds something new, but it was the mother’s story, told across those lifetimes, that hit me the hardest.

The writing itself is something to sit with: not just heart-wrenching or heartwarming, but tactile. I found myself pausing often, just to take it in. It does require your full attention, but the payoff is worth it.

Unpredictable, layered, painful, hopeful. I’m still thinking about the ending and all the what-ifs it leaves behind. Would make for a great book club discussion.

If you read just one book in May, let it be this one!

Tysm @vikingbooks and @pameladormanbooks for the beautiful finished copy of this amazing book. I think this may be some of my most favorite book mail of all time!

@florenceknapp_ really knows how to tell a story. I think this will be a story that I will think of for a long time. The premise is very, very thought provoking and I love a story that makes you reflect on your own choices in life and this story really, really encourages you to do that.

This story is very, very character driven with so much depth. There are so many important themes explored like love, loss, family dynamics, the choices we make and the ones we don’t, and how regret can manifest in so many different ways.

There are some harder topics explored as well, so check the trigger warnings but this is one that should definitely be on your radar! It will definitely be one of my favorites of the year!

A mother of a newborn in England is supposed to register the name of her son as Gordon after her husband, a doctor who abuses her. But what if she chooses a different name? This book explores the lives her son might have if she names him Gordon, but also two other names. A few times it got confusing because there are three stories going on through many years but overall a very compelling book.

"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet." Well, William Shakespeare, it appears you are wrong. The premise of this book is one so many of us consider at some point in our lives. Can a name actually have that kind of impact. Three names and three life directions, and as always, family at the core. This book has legs and should do well for a debut novel.